Ignition system



May 21, 1935. R. 5. JUNE IGNITION SYSTEM Filed June 25, 1934 54 Vibrator 3 RaZ/vhiL/une Patented May 21, 1935 2 002 114 .aUN TA PATENT, OFFICE IGNITION SYSTEM Ralph S. June, Seattle, Wash., asslgnor of one-- half to George A. Anderson, Seattle, Wash.

Application June 25, 1934, Serial No. 732,288 6 Claims. (01. 123-148) My invention relates to the ignition system of plugs are supplied with continuous high-tension internal combustion engines. The invention is current from any suitable source, and as typical applicable admirably to the normal four-stroke of such a source I have shown a vibrator coil cycle gasoline or explosion engine, having four supplied withcurrent from a battery 6. As is oh- 5 cylinders or more, but itsprinciples can be apvious, there may be substituted for such a current plied as well to such engines having two cylinders; source any high-tension continuous generator. to engines operating on the two-stroke cycle, and Across the high-tension terminals 5| and 54 to semi-Diesel or Diesel engine; in fact, to any of this coil are connected the elements of a spark engine wherein an ignition system is used congap 1.- These may consist of the adjustable spark 10. tinuously or occasionally. terminal 14, adjustable by hand to regulate the 10 It is an object of my invention to simplify and initial spark gap, and the spark terminal H which lessen the cost of the ignition system of such is connected through a lever 10 and link for engines, and to eliminate certain disadvantages adjustment by the driver. or by any automatic inherent in the normal two-electrode spark plugs governor device during operation of the engine,

15, by providing a system wherein a one-electrode as is common for advancing or retarding the nor- 15 spark plug may be employed to advantage. mal timing devices. A condenser 16 may be con- More specifically it is an object to provide an nected, if desired, across the spark gap 1. ignition system wherein a distributor is notneed- Connecting the coil Sand the respective spark ed, and wherein the timing is accomplished by the plugs are the leads I2, 22, 32 and 42. The leads 20 engine itself,- that is to say, by the movement i 2 and 42, of opposite potential, extend to the 20 of the pistons therein, controllable by an auxilspark plugs H and 4|, which are in the two cyliniary spark gap, in turn controllable in its initial ders of a pair, and the leads 22 and 32, of opposite setting and by the driver. potential, are similarly connected to the paired My inventioncomprises the novel ignition sysspark plugs 2| and 3|, respectively.

25, tem, and the novel combination of the same with If in the position of parts shown in the draw-- 25 a multicylinder engine,by the-latter term meaning' we assume that cylinder l is under compresing an engine of two or more cylinders, preferably sion, the piston having just reached top center, an engine in which the cylinders are arranged then piston 40 has 'just completed a scavengingin pairs, the pistons in these paired cylinders apstroke; Piston 20 may have just completed a proaching top center simultaneously, but being a power stroke, and piston an intake stroke. As half cycle different in phase, so that one piston is piston I0 approaches its spark plug H on the completing acompression stroke when the paired compression stroke the resistance of the gap bepiston is completing a scavenging stroke. The tween this piston'and spark plug diminishes, as invention, however, is not limited only to use in an does the" resistance between, the piston 40 and 35 engine so arranged, as will appear hereafter. itsspark plug 4i,- until the combined resistances Inthe accompanying drawingIhave shown'my at these two points become less than the reinvention diagrammatically as' incorporated in sistance across the spark gap 1. When this octhe normal four-cylinder, four-cycle gasoline curs a spark passes by way of the lead I2, spark engine, by way of illustration. The drawing plug ll, piston I 0, piston, spark plug 4!, and 40 shows such an engine in vertical axial section, lead 42, back tot-he coil 5. The gas in cylinder 40 with the electrical parts of the ignition system l,-being under compression, isfired by the spark shown diagrammatically. thus passing, but since the piston 40 has just In such an engine, cylinders l and 4 are paired, completed its scavenging stroke, no explosion can as are 2 and 3. Pistons In and 40 in the respecoccur here, and consequently the explosion octive cylinders I and 4 approach top center sicurs only in cylinder I No spark can pass in 45 multaneously, but are a half cycle opposite in cylinders 2 or 3, since the gap in these cylinders phase, and similarly, pistons 20 and 30 are paired, is so great.

but are a quarter cycle opposite pistons l0 and As the cycle proceeds, the pistons 20 and 30 40, and a half cycle opposite each other. approach their respective spark plugs, and at 60 In each of such cylinders is secured a spark about top center the spark passes in these two plug having asingle electrode only. These spark cylinders, firing the now compressed charge in plugs may be identical, but for purposes of decylinder 3, and thus the cycle continues.

scription they are designated ll, 2|, 3| and 4|, It will be noted that the time of firing is dcto distinguish them, and are associated with the termined by the time when the resistance berespective cylinders I, 2, 3 and 4. These spark tween the two spark plugs of paired pistons be- 55 terminal 14 being manually adjustable to determine the initial resistance of the gap. By a proper adjustment of these spark terminals the engine may be made to ,fire earlier or later.

If this ignition system is connected in a twocylinder engine, for instance an engine comprising only the cylinders i and 2, both spark plugs would be connected, as shown, to one terminal of the coil 5, and the opposite side of the coil will be grounded to the engine. gine be a four-cylinder engine, or greater, operating on the two-cycle principle, all the spark plugs may be connected to one terminal of the spark coil, and the opposite terminal of the coil can be grounded to theengine. For a heavy duty engine, as in a truck, Where a large spark is required, or for an engine of many cylinders (twelve or sixteen, for example), or for any engine, operating at high speeds, or for any reason tending to overtax the capacity. of a single coil, one coil may be employed'for each pair of synchronously moving pistons, or for each group of four (or any convenientnumber of) cylinders, since there is no problem of synchronizing the timing of many spark plugs. In the claims, therefore, the term current source is to be understood as meaning one or more than one such source, as the type of engine may require. My system will, in fact, be particularly useful in engines wherein, because of high speeds, multiplicity of cylinders, or any other reason, timing or firing the charge is a problem, and the iour-cylin der engine has beenshown in the drawing only by way of illustrating, in the simplest manner, the principles of my invention, which, as indicated, will be especially useful in larger engines.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination with a multi-cylinder engine and pistons reciprocable in the several cylinders, an ignition system therefor comprising a high tension current source,- a one-electrode spark plug disposed in each cylinder to fire across to the piston therein substantially at top center of such piston, and leadsfrom opposite terminals of said source to the spark plugs in those cylinders the pistons whereof are simultaneously 'at top center, but a half cycle opposite in phase, whereby thetime of firing is controlled entirely by the approach of such pistons to their corresponding spark plugs.

'2. An ignition system for use in engines of two or more cylinders comprising a continuous high tension current source, a one-electrode spark plug for dispostion in each cylinder of two oppositely phased cylinders, to fire across to the piston there- Similarly, if the en' in substantially at top center of such piston, and leads from one terminal of said source to each of said spark plugs, the opposite terminal being electrically connected to the pistons, whereby the time of firing is controlled entirely by the approach of such pistons to their corresponding spark plugs.

3. In combination with a multi-cylinder engine and pistons reciprocable in the several cylinders, an ignition system therefor comprising a high tension current source, a one-electrode spark plug disposed in each cylinder to fire across to the piston therein substantially at top center of such piston, leads from opposite terminals of said source to the spark .plugs in those cylinders the pistons whereof aresimu'ltaneously at top center, but a half cycle opposite in phase, and means adjustable to regulate the time of firing with rerespect to top center of such pistons.

i. In combination with a multi-cylinder engine and pistons reciprocable in the several cylinders, an ignition system therefor comprising a high tension current source, a one-electrode spark plug disposed in each cylinder to fire across to the piston therein substantially at top center of such piston, leads from opposite terminals of said source to the spark plugs in those cylinders the pistons whereof are simultaneously at top center,

' but a half cycle opposite in phase, and means controllable from a distant point to regulate the time or" firing with respect to top center of such pistons.

5. In combination with a multi-cylinder engine and pistons reciprocable in the several cylinders, an ignition system therefor comprising a high tension current source, a one-electrode spark plug disposed in each cylinder to fire across to the piston therein substantially at top center of such piston, leads from opposite terminals of said source to the spark plugs in those cylinders the pistons whereof are simultaneously at top center, but a half cycle opposite in phase, and an adjustable spark gap connected across the terminals of said source, to regulate the time of firing with respect to top center of such pistons.

6. An ignition system for use in engines of four or more cylinders, wherein paired pistons simultaneouslyreach top center, but are a half cycle opposite in phase, comprising a source of continuous high tension current, a spark gap connected across the terminals of said source, a one-electrode spark plug for disposition in each cylinder, in position such that the paired pistons,

substantially as they reach top center, will appreach the respectve electrodes closely to form gaps of combined resistance less than that of said spark gap, and leads from opposite terminals of said source direct to the respective spark plugs of paired pistons, whereby to effect a discharge within each of the paired cylinders.

RALPH S. JUNE. 

